Blowing leads, position not optimum way to end

The objective, of course, is to finish what you start, to complete the task by the most efficient of means, with minimal risk to life, limb and your position in the conference standings.

With two games remaining in the regular season, it's a lesson San Diego State's men's basketball team seemingly is learning on the fly.

Assuming a role better suited to a stuntman than a basketball team backed into a corner, the Aztecs in their last two outings have shown a flair for playing with fire, for prancing across a high wire in a hurricane sans safety net.

The consequences have ranged from heartbreaking to hair-raising, from disastrous to disconcerting. Twice in the span of the last eight days, SDSU has surrendered leads of at least 14 points in the second half, the first culminating in a cataclysmic collapse against BYU, the second necessitating overtime in Saturday's win at TCU.

While perhaps too soon to be viewed as a trend, it is nonetheless troubling at a time when the Aztecs are fast exhausting their supply of second chances.

With first-place Utah now sharing the league lead (at 11-4) with New Mexico after its loss to the Lobos last night, SDSU (9-5) is a game and a half out of first place entering tonight's meeting at Cox Arena against Colorado State. BYU (10-4), which plays at Wyoming tonight, trails Utah and New Mexico by a half-game with the regular season ending Saturday.

If the Cougars, Utes and Lobos all lose a game – BYU closes against Air Force, Utah hosts TCU and New Mexico is at Wyoming – then the Aztecs could make it a four-way tie for first by winning tonight and again Saturday at home against UNLV. But, since Utah hasn't lost a conference home game all season, it's more likely that the best the Aztecs could hope for is a tie for second.

If the regular season were to conclude today, the Aztecs would be seeded No. 4 in next week's MWC Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas and draw the No. 5 seed, UNLV. The Rebels, who enjoy the benefit of playing their home games at the Thomas & Mack, have won each of the past two MWC tournaments.

Regardless of postseason scenarios, however, of this the Aztecs can be certain: Blowing a 14-point lead against the likes of UNLV in Las Vegas will prompt an early boarding of the bus.

“That is an issue we are definitely addressing in practice this week,” senior forward Lorrenzo Wade said of squandering second-half leads. “Things got away from us in the second half against BYU. At TCU, we broke it open by 14 points (actually 16) and ended up going into overtime. Things like that can't happen, and there aren't too many teams that are going to allow it to happen.

“Unfortunately, sometimes the ball doesn't bounce your way. Teams get hot and sometimes things are out of your control. But we can control our own effort, and we need to play as hard as we possibly can, even with big leads.”

Davis is award finalist
SDSU senior Kelvin Davis is one of 12 finalists for the V Foundation Comeback Award, the V Foundation for Cancer Research announced. The winner will be announced early next month.

Davis was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma shortly after last season and went through chemotherapy and radiation treatments during the summer and before this season. Since he played in just eight games he will seek a medical redshirt, which would grant him a sixth year of eligibility.

Utah vs. New Mexico
Tony Danridge scored a career-high 29 points, a fitting farewell on Senior Night, leading host New Mexico to a 77-71 win over Utah to force a tie atop the Mountain West standings.